Subaru Ditched the Wagon and Outback Sales Dropped Over 40%

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Ànother case of brands trying to force their consumers to like something they don’t by taking away something they like. À genuis marketing strategy really.

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Tapprunner@reddit

Also, not understanding why people buy your products.

The Forester was appealing to a lot of people because it was more wagon-like and wasn't just like every other crossover on the market.

Why on earth would you eliminate the one thing that separates you from the competition?

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b88b15@reddit

Lesbians do not want an f150. They want something that's easy to park at Wegmans.

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guisar@reddit

Truth. lesbians are moving towards tacos.

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spitefulcat@reddit

Back in the late 90s , early 2000s, they drove Ford Rangers. Not sure about now.

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RequirementLeading12@reddit

It was cheap or, rather, affordable. For some reason these manufacturers hate giving consumers affordable vehicles. It's baffling

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Defintely so ànd especially in a worldwide car market where so many models are SUVs lol. Litearly sedans ànd sport cars being killed ànd reborn as SUVs.

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Jake0024@reddit

That's not quite it... American consumers overall don't like wagons, but the few that do have very few options, so a lot go with Subaru.

On paper, wagons are incredibly unpopular, but you can capitalize on that by being the only automaker making wagons. If you abandon your core demographic to go after the mainstream market, you're abandoning the niche you evolved to succeed in.

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BigSportySpiceFan@reddit

Marketing geekazoids at work

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DookieMcDookface@reddit

Subaru must have taken a page out Volkswagen’s book

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MortadellaKing@reddit

Just like Nissan and Mazda, I have no interest in brands where the entire line up is just slightly different sized crossovers. At least here in Canada. And no manual transmissions except the fwd 3 or 400z, no thanks.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

Just like Nissan and Mazda, I have no interest in brands where the entire line up is just slightly different sized crossovers.

Huh? Nissan has the Sentra, Altima (for now), Z, Armada, and Frontier, while Mazda has the 3 and Miata.

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MortadellaKing@reddit

Sorry I should have said "most" of the line up lol.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

Fair enough. But unfortunately, most vehicle sales these days are crossovers. So manufacturers build what people buy, and stop building what people don't buy.

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KaosC57@reddit

This is because the majority of car buyers in the USA are straight up brainwashed morons.

You have moms who keep saying “I don’t want a minivan because they look ugly” and buy the ugliest damn 3 row SUV on the market, when the Toyota Sienna looks way better than it (and even gets better MPG)

You have people buying giant SUVs and Trucks that don’t need them because they don’t tow/haul, and they don’t off-road at all.

And then you have everyone else replacing their sedans for Crossovers to “feel safe” because everyone else buys absolutely massive cars.

A 3 person family (Mom dad and 1 kid) doesn’t need a Crossover or Van! They need at most 2 sedans. One for mom, one for dad. Maybe a Wagon and a Sedan to haul more groceries or luggage for trips. You buy a Truck for the ability to Tow or carry dirty things in the bed. You buy an SUV to haul lots of “clean” things, or tow. You buy a minivan to haul 7 people and their stuff. Crossovers are simply a product of moron buyers across the entire spectrum of people buying cars.

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stratusfear@reddit

People want to buy certain vehicles thinking about that one time every two years they might need them for some particular task, and not thinking about the fact that, for example, Home Depot rents pickups for cheap if you need to haul some shit for a couple of hours, and you can rent minivans and SUVs for road trips once in a while. Crossovers just really don’t need to exist, except for the fact that people are willing to pay money to feel more secure about the uncertainty of their own future and not have to think about it. I’m married with two kids and two sedans. One of those could be a wagon, but it hasn’t been an issue. Everything else is generally unnecessary.

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guisar@reddit

I have a sedan, a pickup and a van. They are all old af because I hate crossovers so I just keep driving these. So.... no sales because crossovers suck.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

There are plenty of new cars, pickups, and vans to choose from today. But I get your point.

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guisar@reddit

They are also all manual (Syncro, Chevy SS and Taco), so there's that. When I get another car it'll be an EV appliance hopefully in some minivan, hypercar or kei truck format.

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MortadellaKing@reddit

I get it, I'm in the minority. Just wish the majority of people weren't so boring.

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Necessary-Fan-2442@reddit

I have a friend that works in the plant in TN, they aren’t doing good as a brand. Declining sales are forcing them to scale back production. So they may have a more diverse line up than some other brands it’s just not what people are looking for.

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captainnowalk@reddit

Yeah, but not counting those!

Subaru also has the Impreza, BRZ, and WRX, no? If they make a new Baja, I’d even call that one a pickup!

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BahnMe@reddit

Infuriating that my Golf R only physical shitty slider climate controls are not even backlit. Not only do you not get tactile feedback, you can’t even fucking see it at night without going through a few menu screens.

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dphoenix1@reddit

At least they’ve supposedly committed to a return to buttons. Question is, will they sell a vehicle I’m even remotely interested in buying by the time that actually happens?

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pinezatos@reddit

Yeah, after 3 government bailouts i would try to change too, they are already in talks with rheinmetall to start building weapons, they are closing factories one after the other, don't know what they will do about the US side though.

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BahnMe@reddit

5 cylinder Golf R but I’m sure it’ll be like $65k starting plus dealer markup.

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News_without_Words@reddit

And DSG only

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BahnMe@reddit

I guess they can’t fit a strong enough manual in a production economic way into that driveline space.

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potatoboy247@reddit

oh they can, they just wont

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Successful_Ad_9707@reddit

The TTRs also had a 2.5t and they had a 6spd option for that.

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MiliVolt@reddit

Same shit on my Id.4. Why would you not backlight it? The newer Id.4 has them backlit, I wonder if you could buy the part and stick it in there.

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Left-Mixture5252@reddit

Toyota owns a big piece of Subaru. So the just push their product onto Subaru to increase profit. I would love a wrx engine with a normal transmission in an Outback… but all we get is a crappy cvt

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acideater@reddit

I think manual sales are overblown, although i have deep nostalgia of subaru's being the "normal" cars i've seen with manual's. Manual's without any sport or performance to back them up aren't that exciting in modern cars.

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Dr__Nick@reddit

No you're much more in tune with where the car is in its power band using an actual manual, you have to be. You can choose to do that with a DSG or other manual shift mode auto but you're much more engaged with a meh car with a manual than you are leaving it in auto.

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

And Mercedes’s book with the W206 C63. Glad within the last year and a half Mercedes-Benz Automotive Group as a whole corporate members have screwed their heads on tighter though

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7eregrine@reddit

Volvo stopped selling wagons in the UK a few years ago. I know they assumed people would say fuck it, and just get an SUV. Instead... They left the brand.
They brought wagons back.

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Ivan_Whackinov@reddit

They are doing the same thing in the USA, and people are buying used V60s at above new car MSRP.

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KaosC57@reddit

Yeah, if I wasn’t going to likely replace my Civic with an EV, I’d be scouring the land for an unmolested V60.

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dadalwayssaid@reddit

ooooor polestar makes a ev wagon

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takao-obi@reddit

or Ford Europe cancelling the Fiesta and Focus so people would buy the Puma and Kuga. Before the last Focus rolled out the factory they had to announce a partnership with Renault for new small cars to avoid a huge dealership exodus.

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zeromadcowz@reddit

I have an 18 year old outback on its last legs and I’m looking at replacements. I test drove the new outback and it’s just a completely different car. There actually isn’t a single brand with a dealer nearby that sells wagons so I’m trying to figure out if I should just get a sedan instead.

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b88b15@reddit

Try the Crosstrek.

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Sensitive_Box_@reddit

Hardly a wagon. Also extremely anemic in comparison.

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zeromadcowz@reddit

Had a look. I find the boot is so small I might as well get a more fun sedan and put the seats down when I need to.

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spursyg@reddit

Look at a slightly used crown signia, only non luxury new wagon left.

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zeromadcowz@reddit

Ah that wasn’t on my radar at all. Never seen one on the road before.

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ArcticBP@reddit

They look pretty cool lowered & with some new rims

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MechMeister@reddit

Crown Signia my man

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Slippy_27@reddit

Why not just get the last of the 2025 outbacks?

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zeromadcowz@reddit

Oh wow that is what I test drove, I didn’t realize the 2026 made it even more of a crossover. The 2025 is what I was disappointed with lol

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Could you have it shipped to you from a different state or far away city or travel to pick it up?

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zeromadcowz@reddit

I want dealer support if I’m buying new. I’m 1000 km from a larger city and we’re only 35,000 here, to give you an idea of remoteness.

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Sensitive_Box_@reddit

Why's wrong with your "A" key?

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Apple likes to give mine a French twist every now and then lol

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xxBrun0xx@reddit

Has been working for Apple for years.

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BlazinAzn38@reddit

They had it so right before as well. The Outback became more crossover-like but still had wagon type dimensions. So they had a wagon crossover and a typical crossover, that duology worked well enough that Mazda copied it with the CX-50 as a match to the CX-5. Subaru decided to just make it a typical crossover in every way and also make it butt ugly

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AKADriver@reddit

Something Outback owners understand instinctively but it feels like a lot of car guys who want to aggressively insist a crossover is "basically a wagon/hatchback, get over it". I own both a Forester and an Outback and there are distinctively different approaches to how they were engineered to feel that aren't just suspension travel/ride height. When you sit in a crossover you sit higher off the floor and the cowl rises higher. You can actually see in an older Forester where Subaru used Impreza parts and then stitched in an extra few inches of height to the dashboard and so on.

The Outback's suspension rides higher than most sedans but the body and driving position do not. It's a completely distinct experience from a crossover.

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TotalEmployment9996@reddit

Jaguar: I heard our customers like cars so we’re taking away your cars

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Arnas_Z@reddit

Don't worry, they got a car shaped AC unit, should be right up your alley.

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Born4Nothin@reddit

We see how well that’s working out for dodge with the new charger

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5tudent_Loans@reddit

Everyone thinks they can Apple levels of manipulation their customer base forgetting they don’t provide a gardened experience like Apple

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Geruvah@reddit

Every brand thinks they are, cars or otherwise. But Apple cornered the market with their design and ecosystem. No car brand has done that (save for Tesla back when they were the only EV brand) and whoever does their strategy forgot about that.

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Yup. Car brand salesman don’t have the time, patience, and want to sit and try to complete a buying process with someone for however long it takes. Plus someone has a lot less reasons to not buy a phone then they do a car.

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Kryptus@reddit

I think its more like they are trying to attract new customers, but at the cost of pushing away existing ones.

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Nerdenator@reddit

But what about the shareholders?!?

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RiftHunter4@reddit

Brands can convince people that things are cool. Thats hoe a lot of enthusiast cars get launched. The problem with Subaru is that the leadership doesn't seem interested in the enthusiast market. Period.

If they were, we would've had an STI by now and they probably would've brought the Levorg to the US as a replacement for the Outback wagon.

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Quick_Coyote_7649@reddit

Your defintely right. Especially about the STI. They refuse to release it

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angrytortilla@reddit

I Àgree

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OldRed91@reddit

Àmen to thÀt

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Astramael@reddit

I’m not convinced that this is indicative of anything. Every time there is a model changeover sales drop. Also Subaru sales in general are down across several models. I want to see more time before I am convinced of anything, at least a whole half.

Much as I dislike this car, I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be popular. It seems to do most of the things Subaru buyers want.

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SwiftCEO@reddit

I’m with you there. The Subaru subs seem to have taken a liking to the refreshed Outback. The initial reactions weren’t positive, but there are constant posts of people buying the new model.

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awmaleg@reddit

No. It’s fugly. Lost the plot. But it’s got climate control buttons back at least. And it’s outrageously expensive.

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Squishybs@reddit

Fugly is normal for Subarus

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w0nderbrad@reddit

Yea where have these people been for the last 2 decades? Subarus been ugly. Last one that wasn’t flat out ugly was the Legacy GT early 2000s

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ForTheFazoland@reddit

I don’t think the BRZ looks bad 🤷🏽‍♂️

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smexypelican@reddit

Pretty much every Subaru is so damn ugly. Even the new WRX, I don't get why they keep insisting on overdoing black plastic trims, even accentuating them by making them big and angled everywhere.

At least with the new Outback they fixed the inside, that old vertical screen was deal breaker territory.

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13143@reddit

Damn those are ugly. Big ol' bubble butt on it. Reminds me of a Ford Explorer from 20 years ago.

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Centillionare@reddit

Survivorship bias. People who didn’t like it aren’t any longer posting there.

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Bassracerx@reddit

Exactly! Also subaru has slowly been morphing the outback to be more suv like with every generation and sales have increased. People forget that the oitback was more or less the original crossover.

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zeph_yr@reddit

Did anyone actually (besides car people) call the previous gen a wagon? It has the dimensions and looks of a crossover SUV.

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Bassracerx@reddit

I agree the market at large has put it in the crossover bucket but the subaru people still consider it a wagon. It lives a double life.

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Dry_Gur8201@reddit

There is currently over a 90 day supply of Outbacks. Looking at my local Subaru dealer, they have 60 Outbacks on the lot. For comparison, the redesigned Rav4 has a 10 day supply and my local Toyota dealer has none on the lot.

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Astramael@reddit

Maybe this is because people who want Outbacks have been able to buy the last generation at great prices so they are choosing that instead?

Also it’s probably unfair to compare the Outback to the RAV4. One is a medium volume car from a small auto maker. One is one of the most popular single models in the country from the largest auto maker in the world with permanent insufficient supply.

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TempleSquare@reddit

When you want the wagon, they are the only game in town. It's a small market, but they win 100% of it.

When you want a wagon but are forced to buy an SUV, now they have to compete with every other SUV in the segment. Yes, it's a huge market, but now they only win a tiny percentage of it.

Time will tell. Could very likely Subaru got greedy and lost.

I mean, if I wanted a wagon and now the outback is shaped like a RAV4, why wouldn't I just go buy a RAV4 instead?

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Several-Eggplant4460@reddit

When you want a wagon but are forced to buy an SUV, now they have to compete with every other SUV in the segment.

Yup, the outback now has to compete with every other SUV... including the Forester. 🤦

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BlazinAzn38@reddit

Especially when Subaru’s fuel economy and performance have always kind of sucked. So it’s an economy brand in an economy segment and now you’re truly going toe to toe with everyone else.

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Astramael@reddit

Time will tell. Could very likely Subaru got greedy and lost.

Could be.

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Dry_Gur8201@reddit

True but the Rav4 was mentioned by another commenter. I am just trying to pull apart how much is demand versus supply issues.

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Astramael@reddit

For all I know this could totally be demand issues. Maybe buyers do hate it. I certainly hate it. But it’s pretty unusual for what I think about cars to be represented by the market at large.

I think what I’m saying in my original comment is that one really has to wait and see before coming to any fully baked conclusion. The OP article is a premature conclusion.

But the context you provided is interesting and I do appreciate it.

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ScoopForDays@reddit

While there's always exceptions to the rule, your "every time" statement is not accurate at all. Always fascinating when something so wholesale inaccurate gets upvotes lol

Crosstrek 2016 (end of 1st gen) sales were 96K sales, 2017 (2nd gen) sales were 110K

Crosstrek 2021 (end of 2nd gen) sales were 127K, 2022 (3rd gen) sales were 155K

I spot checked Forester and the uptick in new generation trend still holds, and even checking the Outback previous generations the trend holds aside from the 2nd to 3rd generation

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Astramael@reddit

your "every time" statement is not accurate at all. Always fascinating when something so wholesale inaccurate gets upvotes lol

Well I meant more that this is a common thing. But since you’re going to be rude about it I’ll just amend the comment.

I don’t think a sales drop with a model transition is of any concern, happens regularly.

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PBP2024@reddit

Your stupid made-up comment about model changeover sales dropping is not true. Subaru has the record at 93 months of continuous sales growth covering multiple generations of different models. This ended in August 2019.

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Astramael@reddit

Your stupid made-up comment about model changeover sales dropping is not true.

That’s rude. This is a common trend across all manufacturers.

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PBP2024@reddit

No, fuck that. What they said was wrong so don't put that shit out there.

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Astramael@reddit

It’s not wrong. This happens all the time. New model comes out, YoY sales are down for the quarter it goes on sale, this subreddit freaks out. Then it’s fine actually and the new model sells well.

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PBP2024@reddit

It doesn't happen every time like claimed. Subaru defied it for almost 8 years.

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Astramael@reddit

Okay? And this time maybe they didn’t. That’s not weird or conspiratorial. There’s no reason to believe this is a problem based on current data.

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PBP2024@reddit

That wasn't what I was saying at all, jesus fucking christ. My comment was directly related to the comment about the claim that every time there's a model change, sales dip. That's all.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

I don't know crazy idea but maybe Subaru shouldn't have tried to focus their entire business or model around outdoorsy wine moms well completely abandoning their existing fan base.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Isn't that already their existing fan base? By "fan base" I mean the people who buy new Subarus, not used.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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Drzhivago138@reddit

What word was the trigger here?

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

That comment was none of those things. It's literally Subaru's current business model to appeal to middle-aged women and no one else.

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007meow@reddit

Why don’t model changeovers INCREASE sales? Aren’t people looking for the newest model?

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willpc14@reddit

In addition to what /u/Astramael said, lots of people pushed up car purchases last year before tariffs hit and the EV incentive disappeared. I should probably look at industry wide numbers, but I think demand for new cars was overall rather soft for Q4 last year and Q1 this year.

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Astramael@reddit

Can confirm, Q1 2026 auto sales are down across the industry. Nobody should be surprised, 2025 extra growth was always going to lead to this outcome in 2026. Not every model is down, some are still up, but the trend is clear.

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Astramael@reddit

The old model is often heavily incentivized, so buyers pick a significant savings over buying the latest and greatest.

There is often lag time as models change over. As the factory spools up production there aren’t enough of the new model to meet demand.

Changes in demand are measured as year over year. But if the year ago sales had a force driving sales that this year didn’t, it can look bad.

There’s some psychology in it too. People not trusting new models (wise), people not knowing about the new model yet, or not desiring it yet due to insufficient exposure.

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ImHealingU@reddit

new gen 4runner and tacoma sales were both down a very large amount right when the generation changeover happened and look at them now…

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Astramael@reddit

It’s a typical thing with new car released for a variety of reasons. This sub likes to have panic attacks about it every time as well.

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nondescriptadjective@reddit

When there are no other options to buy a wagon, of course a sales drop will look temporary as people feel the need to replace their cars. When you take away good options, and the only options left are bad but necessary, there's only one way that trend goes.

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Astramael@reddit

As a wagon/hatchback enthusiast, I don’t think normal buyers care at all about whether or not the taxonomy is exactly right. The wagon-ness or otherwise of this car probably couldn’t make even a 1% difference in year over year sales.

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nondescriptadjective@reddit

None of this changes the statement than when all the options are shit, but you're still forced to buy the product, shit products are sold an appear to be successful. The automotive industry has a long history of this since they have forced much of the world to own cars so there are no other means of transportation available. Giant trucks driven by people who don't do weekly truck shit are stupid and dumb. Even people who do truck shit are starting to import Kei trucks because they make more practical sense. But because these big ass, people killing trucks are more profitable ever since CAFE laws, the auto industry has pushed USA, and more places, into these dumb, hard to drive trucks at the expense of a growing pedestrian fatality rate. All because in most places, the auto industry has a monopoly on transportation that they helped create through regulatory capture and marketing.

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Astramael@reddit

I agree with some of this and disagree with some of this. But it doesn’t seem super applicable to the topic at hand.

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nondescriptadjective@reddit

What doesn't seem applicable, and what don't you agree with? Because to me, it seems entirely applicable. When you have a monopoly on something, and your entire goal is to maximize profits, it doesn't matter whether or not you offer products that people like. They will be forced to buy them regardless if they have been forced to be a necessity of life. For most people in the USA, this is true of cars. And with CAFE laws allowing light trucks to skirt safety standards, fuel economy standards, etc, they are more profitable as they require less engineering. And a profit seeking company will move to offer only the things that are more profitable.

Then the USA ruined city density, which makes mass transit less efficient, at the behest of car owners and automotive lobbyists. Cars went from a nice thing to a necessary thing as buildings were demolished for parking lots and people were spread out beyond walking distance, and biking distance. Making cars the defacto default in much of the USA through these measures, allowing the auto industry to market, make, and sell the most profitable automobiles they can. All because transportation, in most places, has little competition. And even in places where it does have to compete, the entitled nature of automotive drivers to get what they want at all costs, are demanding changes to cities for the convenience of their cars, which will always hurt public/mass transit efficiency.

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Astramael@reddit

Okay. But I think buyers probably like the new Outback just fine. I don’t think the information we have right now is complete enough to come to a solid conclusion on its popularity.

I know that your theory is that because there’s no wagons left, previous wagon buyers are forced into an SUV which masks their discontentment. Maybe for some people. I don’t think this is enough people to move the needle at all. Most people are fine with picking whatever SUV.

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nondescriptadjective@reddit

Sentence one is likely incorrect, if those buyers owned ans chose the former outback for the specific qualites of the previous option. There is a reason that outdoor people bought the outback. There's a reason you see so many of them at the crag and the trailhead. It's because they're sort of fuel efficient, capable of doing a lot of off roading, and drive better than trucks. Your second sentence will never be satisfied since there are no other options on the market like what the Outback was, which is why people bought it in large numbers for outdoor sports

People will be fine with "picking whatever SUV" because again, no other options are left. When shit plays shit, shit wins. There are essentially no small cars left in the US market, because decades of marketing made people think that SUVs are better, even though they are a pain in the ass to drive and their safety ratings are trash. All because SUVs have higher profit margins.

And the modern pickup truck absolutely sucks for doing truck shit. Why the fuck is the average bed rail at average male shoulder height? This makes the truck bed inconvenient to average males, and functionless to the average female. The sight lines are so bad that you can't see children over the hood of most automobiles. The fuel economy is ass because you're moving so much weight and pushing so much wind. And these damn things wearout roads much faster because they're so heavy.

If you spend hundreds or millions of dollars across decades manipulating people into wanting something, it's no shocker that a lot of people will want it. It also should come as no surprise that a for profit business will spend that marketing budget on the most profitable object, not the highest quality object. Then in a profit driven world that they have manipulated, they can fall back on "profits were highest in this market, so we're going to cut all the lesser profitable options".

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Astramael@reddit

Sentence one is likely incorrect

But you don’t know. I think it goes one way, you think it goes the other way. That’s okay. I wish there was a way to know for sure, but I suspect we won’t ever get satisfactory certainty.

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s4ltydog@reddit

Subaru sales across the board are 15-20% down per their own numbers the Outback is down 40%. Sure half that is probably due to the economy but the other half is definitely because they killed the last affordable wagon in the US.

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Astramael@reddit

definitely because

Don’t make the same mistake as the article author. There isn’t evidence to support that conclusion.

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1975hh3@reddit

With every Outback changeover in the past you saw the new models take the place of the older models. When I got my ‘24 Outback, within weeks they were literally everywhere. Conversely, I’ve seen a total of TWO ‘26 Outbacks on the road. I’ve seen more new Z’s than ‘26 Outbacks and that is just weird.

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Astramael@reddit

Anecdotes, etc…. It’s not like they aren’t selling Outbacks. The number of 2026 Outbacks sold is pretty in line with historical values.

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Theseus-Paradox@reddit

Maybe that is the issue and no one wants to recognize it. Sales drop with every change over, don’t change it and sale won’t drop…

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PBP2024@reddit

That's not true, don't make shit up. There's no way Subaru could have set the record at 93 months of continuous sales growth...

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Astramael@reddit

Never update any cars! Wooo! This is the way.

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rekniht01@reddit

Tesla enters the chat.

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willpc14@reddit

Toyota is the mod of this chat

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gothiicserpent@reddit

The writers behind these articles aren't analysts so I never these articles to mean anything. Calculating a YoY change from 2 data points doesn't mean much without broader historical context. It's like picking 2 data points for a stock and saying it "tanked" 40% in 2 months but ignoring that it shot up 300% the previous months. Even if Subaru sales are objectively trending down, the article isnt actually telling us much without broader industry context

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stakoverflo@reddit

Can't be bothered to click OP's article, but the article on the same topic the other day mentioned Subaru sales were down across the board.

People probably just aren't looking to take out an expensive loan in this economy / instability. I sure as hell am not stoked about searching for a house when I have no idea how soon AI will replace my job.

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Crunch_Captain465@reddit

The dealer brand I work within has seen a drop of roughly 5% year over year with only the Subaru stores with a 3% increase. The Outback is not supported in any meaningful way by the manufacturer at this point. Hopefully that changes in the next few months.

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WyrdHarper@reddit

Overal subaru sales are down ~15% YTD. Outbacks are down ~30% and it’s one of their main models. Crosstrek is only down ~12% and the Forester is actually up.

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Bassracerx@reddit

People rushed to buy in q1 last year before tariff hit.

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Astramael@reddit

Technically the Solterra is up a lot, right?

Anyways clearly not everything is rosy in Subaru-land so I don’t think we can be super decisive about this model having major demand issues due to its lack of wagon-ness right yet.

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Hnry_Dvd_Thr_Awy@reddit

Crosstrek and Forester bother have hybrid options now which is pretty big gain for them imho.

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kenny1911@reddit

Car buyers are a fickle bunch.

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jontss@reddit

I stopped caring about them when they dropped the WRX hatch and lowered the HP from 265. Although I think it's back up now.

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COpowderhound1@reddit

Subaru CVT transmissions are the reason I will never consider a Subaru again. They fail 60% of the time, every time.

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IMA_5-STAR_MAN@reddit

How are the Forester sales? They redesigned both and dropped the lowest trim from the Outback so the entry is higher.

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midnitewarrior@reddit

Yeah if I wanted a boxy SUV I wouldn't own an Outback already.

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guyzieman@reddit

Who could have guessed that people would stop buying the most popular wagon in the US market when it stopped being wagon-shaped? Certainly not the automotive geniuses over at Subaru

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6158675309@reddit

Tangentially related. I was listening to Daniel Tosh’s podcast and he was talking about sponsors he has had. Subaru was one and they gave him an Outback to drive. The only stipulation he had was he could not call it a wagon 🤣. This was several years back and even then Subaru would not lean into the wagon identity. Definitely a curious approach on Subarus part

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BlackDS@reddit

That's so dumb because they literally have the Forrester to be the SUV-like crossover. The Legacy outback is the same size. Why not lean into the wagon thing.

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EZKTurbo@reddit

now its just a dumb suv with a high maintenance engine

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LITTELHAWK@reddit

But it's still a wagon.

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colin_staples@reddit

Not true.

Surely, then, the Outback’s drastic design switch is causing sales to plummet, right? Well, that might be a cause. But there are a handful of other, more sensible reasons why Outback sales have fallen off a cliff. Let me explain.

Dips in sales can often be seen when cars switch from one design to another, whether for a normal mid-cycle refresh or for a full-on design change, in the case of the Outback. This is because the factory has to retool to incorporate all the new gear to make the new car. Factories can’t just flip a switch and go from making one car to making an entirely different car without some pauses or slowdowns to make changes to the assembly line.

With the new Outback, Subaru had to deal with this switchover on an entirely different scale, since for 2026, it moved production of the Outback from its plant in Indiana to an assembly plant in Japan, to make room for more local Forester and Forester Hybrid production. Doing that kind of stuff takes time, so supply through the first quarter of 2026 was limited.

If the cars aren’t built, they can’t be bought

Another big reason why it appears like Outback sales are deflating is because of how unusually well the Outback sold during the same period last year. Those 39,934 cars represented a 13.4% increase over the year prior, which is a pretty substantial jump for an aging car that was one year away from being phased out of production.

According to Subaru, this increase was due to people swarming dealers to buy cars to get ahead of tariffs, which went into effect later in the year. We covered this phenomenon last year as it was happening—several brands experienced panic-buying in the months leading up to tariffs taking effect. So theoretically, this dip can be at least partially attributed to sales normalizing in a post-tariff environment.

On a more basic level, the slump in sales could also be affected by the Outback’s new price tag. Thanks to tariffs and the new design, the 2026 model starts at $36,445, making it a full $5,030 more expensive than the old car.

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imtrippincuh@reddit

On that last point- the car being 5k more, they removed the base model which didn't have rear vents, window tint, and push button start, smaller screen, and a few other things I'm sure. Now the "base" premium has leatherette, and the same screen size for all trims

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colin_staples@reddit

The headline “from” price is still a massive thing, even if nobody actually went for the base model

5k more to buy one is still 5k more to buy one, and that puts some people off from even walking into a dealer

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imtrippincuh@reddit

They do have a true base Forester which starts around 30-32k IIRC, but yeah the cheapest Outback is 36-37k

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AKADriver@reddit

I think Subaru could have an instant hit if they imported the Levorg, added Crosstrek ride height and trim (I think this even almost exists in Japan, called the Levorg Layback), and sold it as the Outback Classic or something. The Levorg is still a bit smaller than the most recent generations of Outback but it's similar to the older ones at 187" long.

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DoublePostedBroski@reddit

/r/cars isn’t indicative of the entire population

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bobjr94@reddit

To be fair I think all their car sales went down last month, except their Solterra EV.

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SJHikingGuy@reddit

Also, the new Forester is huge and the Outback wagon is huge and ugly. Let's call things what they are.

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The_Real_NaCl@reddit

They’ve basically made the Forester useless in the lineup because of continually turning the Outback more into a crossover throughout its life. Never should’ve strayed away from the wagon proportions.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

How does making the Outback a mid-size CUV invalidate the Forester as a compact CUV? That's like saying the Highlander or Crown Signia makes the RAV4 useless. People want different sizes.

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The_Real_NaCl@reddit

I guess you’re right. I always thought they were the other way around. Carry on.

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AbXcape@reddit

Don’t underestimate the impact of the Crosstrek, it has cannibalized sales from outback and forester and sales continue to grow of that model each year

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TheOliveYeti@reddit

dumbass article for the wagon circlerjerkers to goon over.

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keithplacer@reddit

Making it as ugly as sin probably didn’t help much.

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HasntBlownUpYet@reddit

Subaru is ignoring the elephant in the room.

Sales dropped because Subaru made the Outback look like the Griswold’s Family Truckster, only with more plastic.

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np0@reddit

lol this. If it was still a wagon, but comparable ugly, it probably would sell the same numbers it’s selling today. People don’t care that it’s not a wagon, they care that they moved to a polarizing styling direction.

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willpc14@reddit

Lots of brands have seen sales drop in their Q1 numbers. Subaru's drop cannot be solely associated with the introduction of a new generation.

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steakpienacho@reddit

I don't know what's going on with subaru right now. 5 years ago, they had a great looking lineup and one by one have made every model worse

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SchnellFox@reddit

2026 Outback has so much black plastic body molding makeup and mascara slapped on it's giving Ru Paul over the top vibes.

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mklimbach@reddit

Guys, this stuff is overblown for a number of reasons.

People panic bought vehicles this time last year because of impending tarrifs. That's going to skew number heavily.
Outback production is just starting to ramp up and modelsare getting to dealers.
The economy is...concerning to say the least and gas prices are high. People are reallocating money they might be spending on a new vehicle for now, which affects everything across the boards.

A 1-3 month YoY trend is not impending doom of a model. Toyota is having the same "problem" with the Rav4, which is frequently the #1 selling vehicle in the US and the new model is getting great reviews just like the new Outback.

I know everyone here wants to hate the new model because it's not a wagon, but the general public doesn't care about that AT ALL. This has nothing to do with it.

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b88b15@reddit

Ok but that's not at all what my wife said when she went to buy her 3rd outback but it was too big

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

The market doesn't need any more crossovers, the thing that made the outback cool was that it was one of the few wagons you could still buy in the United States.

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MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit

I’m 95% sure that’s not how the general public sees it. Most average people that think of Outbacks are thinking it’s a practical, mid size SUV thing that has lots of ground clearance, AWD, and decent gas mileage. I’m going to say the average person doesn’t care if it’s a wagon or not.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

Well clearly they do because they're not selling as well. Also it might be anecdotal but I know a guy that works for a Subaru dealership and he's told me that he's seen a lot of people choose a 25 over a 26 just because they don't like how it looks.

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MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit

Dude, it’s not even 1 full model year in and the economy is tanking. Sales for 1 quarter is not a large enough sample size to say this model is a flop.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

The year is 2030. No car company is selling sedans or wagons anymore, only crossovers and giant children crushing pickup trucks exist.

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MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit

Ok? Have you spoken with your money and bought a new or CPO -not an SUV-? I have. And if you haven’t, the cold hard truth is that the manufacture doesn’t care what you think is “cool”. Vote with your dollars.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

The concept of an affordable enthusiast car has gone the way of the fucking dodo. When they're selling mustangs for 70 grand it just shows you that only rich people can afford fun cars anymore.

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MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit

BRZ/86? WRX? Elantra N? Civic Si? MX-5? Golf GTI? All of these can be had for 35k or less. At this point, I feel like you’re trying to be outraged. Good luck with that attitude.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

The idea that a $45,000 car is considered affordable now is wild. Used to be able to buy WRX's for like 25 grand.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

You still haven't answered their original question.

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NormanQuacks345@reddit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

Inflation wouldn't double the price of a car in less than 10 years

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MicrowavedPlatypus@reddit

Dude. 2015 Base WRXs MSRP’d for 27k. New 2026 Premium WRXs MSRP for 34k. Adjusted for inflation, the base would be 37.7k. It has gotten cheaper with more features. I feel like I’m arguing with a 12 year old.

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NormanQuacks345@reddit

Can you prove that there is causation between the looks and the sales numbers?

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

I'm not a automotive sales experts, I just have a friend that sells Subarus and he's told me that most of his clientele prefer the old look to this one.

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Penguinho@reddit

No. Everything is monocausal and specifically the result of whatever shit I'm on about at the time.

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gimpwiz@reddit

Monocausal is a great word, thanks.

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biggsteve81@reddit

My dealer has over 80 new Outbacks on the lot and is selling them below MSRP. Supply is not the issue.

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BahnMe@reddit

Factually incorrect, the worst kind of incorrect. Check dealer supply levels of RAV4 vs Outback.

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neonliberal@reddit

I'm trying to get in the mindset of a person who thought "hmm, I want to like the Outback but it's too wagonney for my taste, it should be bigger and taller, but I also don't want a Forester. Wait, they made it an SUV this year like everything else? I'm in!" I just don't get it though.

These people definitely exist, otherwise Subaru wouldn't have taken the leap and done this. I guess I'm out of touch with average buyers.

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shapeshiftsix@reddit

You're wrong. The Outback was popular as it was, now it's like a Forester. Dumb move on Subaru's part

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byteminer@reddit

I so love the recent string of companies forgetting how to conduct business and taking massive Ls as a result.

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ChasedWarrior@reddit

I kinda don't see the reason for the Outback since now it's as big as the Ascent.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

It's really not though. The Ascent is 4.5" longer, 2" wider, and 3" taller, while also having a 3rd row. The new Outback is merely an inch longer and wider than the outgoing model.

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ChasedWarrior@reddit

I've only seen the Outback in pictures so my frame of reference might be off. It looks huge in pictures.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

After seeing it IRL this weekend: it's more CUV-like than ever before, but still not Ascent-sized. And on the flip side, there's still a noticeable difference in size between it and the Forester. Someone looking for the size of one won't necessarily be swayed by the other.

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ChasedWarrior@reddit

Maybe it's CUV like appearance makes it look bigger than it really is.

If Subaru still made the Legacy sedan I wonder what it would have looked like? 🤔

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

You've never seen one in person?? Where do you live? The new one looks a lot bigger than the outgoing one because of its butch/upright styling. But in reality, it's hardly any larger than the old one.

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thisaccountbeanony@reddit

I’ve had a few outbacks but could never understand why the Forester existed.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Historically, the Legacy-based Outback was longer and wider, but lower at the roof than the Impreza-based Forester (with about the same clearance). Now it's similar in height, but still longer and wider.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

Because the two vehicles are in two different size segments? The Outback has always (up until the new generation) been based upon the Legacy, and therefore is in the midsize segment, while the Forester has always been in the compact segment.

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thisaccountbeanony@reddit

I don’t understand what that means. They are essentially the same size with the forester looking a little taller.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

You don't understand size categories? Compact, midsize, full-size? Small, medium, large?

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wander9077@reddit

So I asked my friend who is a 3X subaru outback owner (Currently driving a 2008 legacy outback wagon manual). She took one look at it when she was at the dealership and was like "thats not a wagon and whys it look like that". It was telling. This is someone who can afford to drive anything they want also, she just learned manual on a previous old outback wagon and is very happy with the body style and utility and AWD in the winter. I think by not making real wagons they are loosing people. I asked her about the crosstrek and she notes its too small which makes sense with her two big dogs. She also uses it more than most SUV people ever use there vehicles to get to trails so has had to replace the suspension more than once. That car has been to alaska and back from the lower 48 4X and currently driving around the east coast. I think subaru lost the story with the new outback.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

(Currently driving a 2008 legacy outback wagon manual)

Does your friend buy new Outbacks, or only used?

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wander9077@reddit

last was used, before that two were new

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Bassracerx@reddit

The new outbacks are not sitting on lots long at all. The production line js just slow to switch over from the old body style to the new one. Also this time last year people were freaking out over tariff and rushing to buy before the tariff raised prices. Its too early to conclude that the new outbacks are not popular.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

The production line js just slow to switch over from the old body style to the new one.

And it wasn't just a switchover at the same plant, like previous generational switches have been. For this new gen, Subaru returned all Outback production to Japan after being based in Indiana for over 25 years. That's a big change in itself.

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standardtissue@reddit

I know. I'm still driving my wagon, now at 17 years old, and am very vocal why. I want wagons.

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Buying only used vehicles won't move the needle in terms of what OEMs offer.

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srtftw@reddit

Worst sales year for the WRX since 2010 also

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TheRealCVDY@reddit

I don’t think it’s because they ditched the wagon, as with most cars in their first year of a new generation it’s a slow start. They’ve only been out for 2 months.

They also don’t have a good interest rate right now (4.9%) compared to the Foresters (0.9% or 1.9%)

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Drzhivago138@reddit

Does this article contain anything different than the one from 2 days ago? Or are we just reinforcing the circlejerk?

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s4ltydog@reddit

Jesus fucking Christ the amount of people who are denying tooth and nail that it has anything to do with the redesign is absolutely insane. Yes the economy is DEFINITELY part of it, nobody is denying that but when your entire lineup is down 15-20% and the one car you redesigned is down 40% the other half of that decline is because of the redesign, period, there’s no other answers. Look every manufacturer has multiple SUV’s, in fact that’s pretty much a majority of manufacturers lineup these days, we liked the Outback because we still like a wagon and that was the last new wagon that you could affordable buy in the US. You turn it into yet another ugly crossover and all of a sudden people are gonna say “well, if a crossover is my only choice then let’s see what else is out there” and likely go with Honda or Toyota because they have basically perfected the model.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

So Subaru abandon everything that made them interesting and it failed? I'm so shocked /s

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Astramael@reddit

They did that ages ago. Subaru has been a lifestyle brand with a just-okay product on the merits for at least 15 years.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

GR Corolla owner huh, at least your favorite car company still actually cares about enthusiast. Every other JDM company is completely abandoned it at this point.

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DodgerBlueRobert1@reddit

Japanese company. Not JDM company.

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Astramael@reddit

My favourite car company is BMW. I happen to own a Toyota because they made the car I wanted. If there was a Mazda 6 Spirit Racing Wagon in manual, or an M2 Touring Manual, I would have a hard time saying no.

But yes, I agree with your statement that most Japanese car makers are neglecting enthusiasts quite badly right now.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

I think what really pisses me off is that clearly Toyota sees a market for this, tripled down on it, and has had tremendous success as a result. Yet every other Japanese car maker has gone the complete opposite direction abandoning any bit of identity and history they have. And I'd argue Subaru is one of the worst offenders of this. The WRX was the everyman sports car, now I'm not even sure it will exist in a few years.

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GeezusLizard@reddit

wagons are like half the appeal that subaru has

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turb0_encapsulator@reddit

there's a lesson here for all businesses: know your niche and be the best at that niche, instead of copying other companies.

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edwardothegreatest@reddit

Big mystery there

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Gcs1110@reddit

I never ever see the new outback. It's quite ugly... I thought they would keep the wagon styling but if course I was wrong... It's a darn shame.

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Mytre-@reddit

Eh probably overblown since what other commenters have pointed out (economy downscaling, people buying less and panic buying before tariffs skewing numbers).

But I am sad we lost that wagon. I don't like SUV's no matter how many i test drive , droven a few from my family of their kia and lexus models and I just dont like it plus the MPG's are sub 40 in most cases. I love my hybrid sedan and its almost 50 MPG I get on my commute and long drive and was hoping that maybe subaru would implement the hybrid on their wagon and was planing to view it but now its an SUV.

:/ my only solution would be the kia k4 hatchback but it's not hybrid at all. I guess when the time comes I fully commit to getting a new car I have hopes another midsize( or full) sedan exists or maybe wagons are back? who knows. And no, not thinking of the Volvo or luxury ones since my budget for cars are at max what a fully loaded sonata/camry are lol.

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skribbledthoughtz@reddit

They need a new design team and they will be fine lol

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1975hh3@reddit

Bummed I’m not going to get to continue my Subaru wagon patronage. Started with an ‘85 DL Wagon and continued to my 2024 Outback.

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SchrodingerHat@reddit

I really don't think that the typical Outback buyers cares about the difference between a tall station wagon and a small SUV platform. It makes no difference to them.

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ethereal3xp@reddit

Suburu is not smart

You keep the Impreza and WRX names. Forrester. Outback.

And keep evolving it. Leverage on the AWD heritage ... plus hybrid or EV.

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Diabando@reddit

Subaru’s entire lineup is very uninspired right now. Hope they can pull their heads out of their asses and figure out how to make cars people actually want again.

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IAmWellBehaved@reddit

Agreed. In recent years the product decisions have been.....odd. I get Subaru does things a bit differently and that's often a differentiator for them, but lately they've lost that in multiple segments.

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vhyli@reddit

Incredible gambit, Subaru.

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Immediate-Report-883@reddit

Has no one else noted since Toyota bought in 20% that Subarus feel much more like Toyota products? They've chased the same mainstream customer pool just with a slightly more outdoorsy styling. But the product mix and direction is straight up Toyota planning at this point.

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whatdoido8383@reddit

I think they went too far towards the SUV market and abandoned their customer base that purchased the Outback for it's wagon like form factor. I know this is the case with me and a few others I've spoken with about it. The previous gen Outback is the last Subaru I'll have owned. Nothing in their current lineup appeals to me.

IMO there are lots of other SUV's in the same segment as the Outback now and lots of those come with a lower price tag and aren't so weird looking.

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neelav9@reddit

Maybe also because it’s one of the ugliest cars on sale right now lol.

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Astramael@reddit

This has never slowed Subaru sales before!

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neelav9@reddit

True but it super ugly this time lol.

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Astramael@reddit

I certainly agree. Looks like a Ford Expedition had an accident in the Pelican factory.

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arancini_ball@reddit

They turned the outback into a second-rate Ford explorer. Subaru's never been a huge company, and it's depressing watching them mis-use their capital this way. With the WRX, the Ascent, the Outback... seems they misunderstand their demographic.

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Recoil42@reddit

While multiple factors are at play, including a $5,000 price increase, the shift away from its wagon roots is likely playing a major role.
...
Subaru insists that part of the decline is due to unusually strong sales in March 2025, which they claim makes this year’s sales drop look more dramatic.

So to sum up:

Monthly sales figures, which can fluctuate quite a bit.
Price increase.
Unusually strong sales a year ago, which seems to be entirely true. Monthly sales hover around 10k-15k, but last March it was 17,539.

What a horrifically stupid clickbait article I feel dumber for reading.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

It's more expensive and blends into the crowd. Nothing interesting about it it's just another crossover. For some odd reason car companies think that we need to have 300 different models of the same type of car.

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Recoil42@reddit

For some odd reason

The reason is that crossovers sell quite well.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

Except for this article literally shows that that is not the case, also Subaru already had two crossovers they were selling. The Crosstrek and the Forester why did they need a third?

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Recoil42@reddit

Except for this article literally shows that that is not the case,

It doesn't do that at all.

Subaru already had two crossovers they were selling. The Crosstrek and the Forester why did they need a third?

Because crossovers sell quite well. Good god, it's like there's an epidemic of people who need things repeated to them on Reddit all of a sudden.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

Do you want to live in a world where only giant children crushing pickup trucks and crossovers exist because I don't

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Recoil42@reddit

A straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction.

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This_Elk_1460@reddit

With the exception of Toyota every major JDM brand has completely lost any bit of Identity and soul. They just want to sell boring crossovers that mostly come in white, black, and silver because they get better margins. You want to live in a boring world where the only people that can obtain fun to drive cars are the rich. They've already killed the WRX in Japan, it's only a matter of time before they kill it globally. Sorry then I'm upset one of my favorite car companies has completely lost the plot in search of profits.

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hi_im_bored13@reddit

+ for some reason people think production ramps up on new models overnight

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Recoil42@reddit

It's not even that; \~10k is a totally normal monthly sales number for the Outback and nowhere near a 40% drop from median.

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CelestialsareDone@reddit

It is a bold strategy to pivot away from the exact thing that built your brand's cult following. Next year they will probably announce they are replacing the Boxer engine with a lawnmower motor and a really loud speaker.

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ctn91@reddit

It’s almost people buy the outback because its the last reasonably priced wagon and not a high end bmw or mercedes

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BloodSugarSexMagix@reddit

I always knew Subaru as the "wagon" brand growing up and always wanted one because of it, wish they made an Impreza wagon

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Dry_Gur8201@reddit

I think one of the biggest drivers is the increase in price between generations. All trims increased between $2-5k and while that brought some additional upgrades, its still a pretty big increase. Last year my wife bought a OB Wilderness before the generation change over and a similarly equipped model is now $7k more expensive now.

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Astramael@reddit

This is a great point. I noticed this in the article too and forgot to mention it. It is a big increase and I am sure that is having an impact whether or not the aesthetics work.

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FingFrenchy@reddit

They pretty much had the wagon market nailed down in the US. Really strange move by Subaru.

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mastawyrm@reddit

I'm confused by the premise in the first place. In my mind the outback has been a wagon with extra spring, marketed as "SUV" for 20 years now and the latest one looks like that's still the case.

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shitfacehammered@reddit

The new Outback is awful looking. It’s essentially 90 percent plastic cladding.

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ZX_StarFox@reddit

Hasn’t been a wagon for a lot longer than this model update

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TheManFromFairwinds@reddit (OP)

Strictly speaking not true. The Outback was always a raised Legacy with a hatchback and higher ceiling. It always shared 95% of the parts with a sedan.

This year they got rid of the Legacy and started over from the ground up as an SUV. It always straddled the line between them but it's now officially one.

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